Clamp for



L. B. GIRARD. CLAMP FOR SHADE CLOTH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1919 1,371,417. Patented Mar. 15,1921.

UNITED STATES LOUIS B. GIRARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CLAMP FOR SHADE-CLOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed November 18, 1919. Serial No. 339,002.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LoUIs B. GIRARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Clamp for Shade-Cloth, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for clamping shade cloth while it is being painted, and the main object of the invention is to provide a clamp for this purpose which will be self looking in clamped position and which will tend to tighten the clamping joint as it completes the clamping movement and will effectually exclude paint from such joint, so as to prevent interference with the operation by accumulation of paint between the clamping parts.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention, and referring thereto Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of another form of the invention, and

Fig. 4 isa plan view thereof.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the device is shown as mounted on a base or frame 1 which is assumed to support several of such devices for stretching and holding a sheet of shade cloth, during the painting thereof; each such device comprising a fixed clamping member 2 and a movable clamping member 3.

Each fixed clamping member 2 consists of a channel iron or member having its lower flange a fastened to the frame 1 and its upper flange 5 formed as a hook portion on member 2 extending obliquely upward to form a flaring groove or channel 6. The movable clamping member consists of a bar or plate, hinged at 8 to an operating arm or hinge member 9, which is hinged at 10 to a bracket 11 fastened to frame 1, the members 3 and 9 constituting a hinge or toggle adapted to be operated, by pressing downward thereon, to straighten out the toggle so as to force the outer end of member 3 into the channel 6. Member 3 is formed with a bearing edge 10 on its lower edge, intermediate the hinge pivot 8 and the bearing face on the top of member 3 which engages the flange 5, said bearing face, indicated at 14, being preferably inclined to conform with the inclination of flange 5 when the parts are in operated position, so as to make tight contact with the flange at the extreme end portion thereof, and avoid any crack or opening between these parts which would be liable to catch and retain paint.

In using the device, the clamping member 2 1S retracted, by raising the hinge of members 3 and 9, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the shade cloth or material to be clamped is then placed in position so as to extend over the fixed clamping member 3. and the hinge is then pressed down to cause the toggle consisting of members 3 and 9 to be extended and the member to engage in the channel 6, and clamp the shade cloth therein, as indicated in Fig. 1. In this operatlon the toggle aforesaid passes dead center position, the pivot 8 of the said hinge passing below the level of the fixed pivot 10 and channel 6, so as to lock the device in clamping position, and as the parts move slightly past the dead center before the pivot portion 8 is arrested by striking base 1, there is a slight retraction of the member 3 from fully extended position but this is prevented from loosening the clamp by reason of the tilting of member 3 on bearing edge 13, which engages a part of the fixed clamping member 2 acting as a fulcrum in the completion of the downward movement of the hinge or toggle, to raise the outer end of member 3 and cause the clamping face or hearing face 14 thereof to tightly engage the inner face of flange 5 at the extreme end portion of said flange, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, so as to tightly close the joint between the end portion of the flange and the clamping member and avoid any crack or opening in which paint may collect. In order that this fulcruming action may take place it is necessary that the fulcrum point at 13 should be intermediate the hinge 8 and the point of engagement with the flange 5 so that the hinge member 3 may act as a lever, which, in this case. is a lever of the first order.

In the operation of devices of this character it has been found that there is a tend ency for the paint to accumulate at or adjacent to the clamping edges of the device and to build up as the successive coats of paint dry on the parts. with the result that the device eventually becomes sprung out of shape by the wedging action of the accumulated mass. I avoid this difliculty by tightly closing the clamping joint as stated and by avoidmg any shoulder back of this joint. I

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the same object is attained by so mounting the hinge members 17 and 18, with reference to the support 19 to which member 18 is pivoted, that the said hinge members move upwardly in the clamping operation, and the clamp member or plate 17 is thereby caused to fulcrum on its outer lower edge 20 so as to raise the clamping face 21 into tight contact with the clamping face or flange 23 of the fixed clamping member 24:. The hinge member 18 is pivoted at 25 to the fixed bracket or support 19 and is hinged at 26 to the hinge member 17, and has an arm 27 serving as a handle whereby it may be operated. By raising said arm 27 the hinge member 18 may be turned down to position shown in dotted lines, thereby withdrawing the member 17 from the channel 28 in the fixed clamping member 24 and enabling the shade cloth to be placed over the latter, and then by turning said arm 27 down, the hinge member 18 may be raised to throw member 17 forward into said channel and clamp the shade clot-h therein, the final part of this movement, when the members 18 and 17 pass beyond dead center position, causing the member 17 to fulcrum on the support of the fixed clamp to raise the face 21 thereof into tight enupper face of the movable clamp member,

when in operated position, conforms in inclination to the lower face of the fixed flange. so as to make tight contact and to close the joint at the extreme'end of said flange.

What'I claim is 1. A clamp comprising a fixed clamping member provided with a flange, a fixed support, a movable clamping member, a hinge member hinged to said support and to said movable clamping member to form with the latter a toggle adapted to force the movable clamping member beneath said flange when the toggle is extended, said movable clamping member having a portion engaging the fixed clamping member at a part thereof serving as a fulcrum when the toggle is moved past dead center position to enable said movable clamping member to act as a lever and'to cause a portion ofsa'id movable clamping member to be moved into tight engagement with'the'extreme end portion of the flange on the fixed clamping member so as to tightly close the joint between the'end portion of the flange and the movable clamping member.

2. A clamp comprising a fixed support, a fixed clamping member securedto said support and provided with a flange formed as a hook portion thereof, a movable clamping member, a hinged member hinged to said fixed support and to said movable clamping member to form with the latter a toggle adapted to force said movable clamping member beneath said flange when the toggle is extended'and to pass dead center position in this operation, said movable clamping member having a downwardly extending portion adapted to engage the fixed-clamping member at a point intermediate the'said flange and the hinge of said movable clamping member to said hinged member to serve as a fulcrum and enable the movable clamping member to act as a lever, so as to force a portion of said movable clamping member against or toward said flange and to make tight contact with the extreme end portion of said flange when the said toggleis moved past the dead center position the portion of the movable clamping member so contacting-with the flange conforming in inclination to the flange face with which it engages, when the movable member is in operated position. 7

In testimony whereof :I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of November 1919.

LOUIS B. GIRARD. 

